Urgent Alert: Imminent Displacement Risk in the Jerusalem Periphery

Palestinian residential structures in Area C of the the West Bank, east of  Jerusalem, are under looming threat of immediate demolition. Structures  include EU-funded residential structures provided in response to previous  demolitions in the area. The Palestinian-Bedouin communities living in the  hills to the east of Jerusalem are at an exceedingly growing risk of  forced ethnic displacement. The communities have been informed by the  Israeli authorities that they have no option but to leave the area, as part of  a larger plan to forcibly tranfer, in defiance of international law,  Bedouin communities living in Area C  (Jerusalem periphery, Jordan Valley, and south Hebron Hills),  where Israel retains control over  ;security as well as planning and zoning.   The Israeli Civil Administration (ICA)  issued eight eviction orders to the  Kurshan compound of the Khan al-Ahmar Arab al-Jahalin Bedouin community,  in the afternoon of Sunday May 6th. The orders affect the eight families of the  community, who have been part of a recent shelter rehabilitation project,  designed to replace sub-standard shelter with eight residential structures.  The Kurshan families have used this location seasonally since the 1960s,  and have been permanent in their current location since 1992. The ICA  officers informed those present in the community that “the community had  built illegally, and that Area C was not for Palestinians.” Fu rthermore, ICA  informed the Az-Zayyem Arab al-Jahalin Bedouin community on May 3rd,  that a demolition will take place in their community, effective immediately , following the lift of an injunction order protecting the structures. These are a lso structures funded by the international community, following demolitions in  November 2011.    Az-Zayyem demolitions, November 2011   Settlers from Regavim, a militant organization based in the nearby settlement of Kfar Adumim, harassed the Khan al-Ahmar Kurshan residents earlier today. They photographed all structures in the community. At the time, ICAHD Co-Director Itay Epshtain, and Field-Coordinator Salim Shawamreh were providing protective presence in the community, and were told by settlers, that they were gathering information on Bedouin structures with the intent of approaching the ICA to urge them to demolish community homes.   An appeal filed by the lawyer for the community against the eviction orders was rejected this afternoon, May 8th, and the ICA is most likely to demolish the eight family homes as early as tomorrow afternoon. According to recognized legal opinions the current planning and permit regime, and other Israeli practices and policies in Area C, violate International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law on several counts (more information available here). It is the duty of third states to ensure respect of international law. The EU Heads of Mission Report on Area C (July 2011) strongly recommended that EU member states promote economic development in Area C, and increase visibility and accountability for the delivery of aid and development architecture in Area C.   ICAHD has called the EU to immediately exert diplomatic pressure on Israel, and call it to account for the threatened demolitions in Khan al-Ahmar as well as in Az-Zayyem. The EU should seek assurance from Israel that the ICA will not demolish these, and other Palestinian structures in Area C. ICAHD will continue to provide protective presence in the community, along with partner organization.      For more information on the growing risk of displacement faced by Arab al-Jahalin Bedouin, please refer to the ICAHD publication'Nowhere Left to Go'. For a normative and political analysis of Israel's displacement policy and practice in the Occupied West Bank, please find the ICAHD publication 'Demolishing Homes, Demolishing Peace'.